Chairs
With members from Germany, Switzerland and Germany, the Expert Committee for for the Theory and Science of Social Work was established in Frankfurt am Main in 1995. In 2002, the Expert Committee was renamed the “Expert Committee for Theory and Science of Social Work” and was led by Prof. Silvia Staub-Bernasconi until autumn 2012. The current chairs are Prof. Christian Spatscheck and Prof. Stefan Borrmann. Since 2013, the expert committee’s work has focussed on the following two events:
1. Spring meeting: meeting directly after the DGSA’s Annual Conference
With the aim of ensuring continuity in the expert committee’s work and developing opportunities for long-term projects, a shorter meeting takes place every year after the DGSA’s Annual Conference, which is always held in the last week of April. In preparation for the meeting, the expert committee selects a theme relating to academic and theoretical developments and invites papers from members and external speakers. Discussions are based on current and controversial publications by colleagues in the field.
2. Autumn meeting: the Theory Development Conference
A special Theory Development Conference, which takes place every October, offers an open platform for discussions of theories in the field of social work. The conference is not a closed section meeting; it is open to all experts who wish to present and take part in constructive discussions on current theoretical developments. Presenters are given a generous amount of time for their paper (30 minutes) and discussion (1 hour). The conference also places emphasis on giving participants opportunities to get to know each other and chat informally. To participate in the conference, it is not necessary to be a member of the DGSA or to present a paper.
